by J. C. Allen
The more I thought about it, the crazier it sounded. The more I thought about the chances of Eve getting out of this, the crazier I became. And the more stressed I got, the crazier I knew the Saviors would start to get.
It was a long shot and, honestly, a part of me already had known I wasn’t going to be finding anything out in the city. Only Tara could. Especially since no one else in our club could.
But still…
This is where you have to exercise control over your emotions, Derek. This is where you rise above the challenges and fears in your mind and make the right choice. Who wouldn’t be emotionally fraught in this situation?
But your father would never let his emotions get the best of him. So don’t you dare either. Be the kind of man your father was.
As the hours passed and we didn’t hear from Tara, I began to feel like I had to do something, anything. I was ready to show everyone just what kind of leader I could be. It had nearly been a full day since Tara had left and we still hadn’t heard back. Perhaps having control was important, but doing something also showcased initiative.
I planned to give her another few hours, but if things didn’t work out, it would be up to us. Somehow we’d have to figure out where the Black Falcons were set up on our own. It seemed daunting and I knew the odds weren’t in our favor.
But funny thing about my life that I was beginning to see now that I had chosen to no longer drink and had a more sober view on things—life usually worked out in my favor. It often had some serious trouble along the way, and there was never a guarantee that there wouldn’t be some heartache along the way.
But Eve and I had everything work out in our favor so far—even our fight had led us to being more honest and open with each other—and I imagined things would only improve from here.
Right?
I smirked, somehow… knowing that it would work out, some way, any way. We’d find them and we’d take those fuckers down. I’d rescue Eve, and all would be good.
There was no other way.
And since Tara wasn’t showing up, it was time to take the one way that worked.
It was time for action.
I could feel that the others would be in agreement as I looked around the shop. Roost glanced over at me, looking up from a few pages he had on the desk in the office. On the lower level, I noticed that several of our men were going over our weapons and beginning to suit up. I raised an eyebrow, wondering if we were already more ahead than I’d thought.
Good.
“What’s up, Roost?” I asked, raising an eyebrow and pointing my thumb in the direction of where the men were working. “We going somewhere? We have some leads?”
“Soon,” Roost said, shrugging a shoulder as he stood up from the desk. “Tara said she’d contact soon, didn’t she?”
Oh. So we don’t have leads. We’re presuming we do.
“Yeah, but…” I said. Stay positive. You’re the leader. You have to show as much. “No, she’ll contact. It’s just a matter of time. She can’t risk being caught, so I’m sure she’s just waiting for the right moment.”
“Huh?” Roost looked up, looking suddenly confused. “Derek? Ya… ya good?”
He said it as if he couldn’t believe I might actually be good.
“What?” I asked, looking back. “I say something wrong?”
“Are ya… did somethin’ happen? Somethin’… somethin’s changed in you.”
He leaned in closer to my face, trying to inquire about me. But it gave me a very different look than what I think he was trying to imply, and I couldn’t help but say something.
“Watch it, or I’ll think you’re trying to kiss me,” I said as I smirked at him.
“Sorry, but yer not my type. Too fuckin’ skinny, for one,” Roost replied, grinning broadly at me. “All the same, I like this new Derek. Better on the ears, at least. Good to have ya with us. Glad yer comin’ along, even if I’d never be comin’ with ya, if ya catch my drift.”
“Good to be back,” I said, even smiling at his sex joke.
I opened my mouth, ready to tell him just how thankful I was for all he’d put up with. He had had to deal with an awful lot of shit from me, at times no doubt wondering if he might have to overthrow me as a leader—or at best, keep me on as a puppet figure.
But the time for sentimental feelings was not really at hand here. Not with Tara still having not said anything. Not with us armed to the teeth.
“Anyways, if we’ve got the boys ready to go, all geared up, let’s go. Let’s roll. Let’s fucking go.”
“Haw haw, boy,” Roost said, giving me a nice smile. “I appreciate that yer impulses are now more heroic than stupid, but ya need to calm yerself down.”
“Why’d you get the boys geared up to take a seat?”
“Oh, Derek,” Roost said, patting my shoulder heavily. “I like ya, and part of it is yer still the dense, hardheaded fool I know. Do ya wanna spend fifteen minutes gettin’ the boys ready once Tara calls? Naw. Let ‘em be ready. Let the tension build.”
“But Eve—”
“All respect, Derek, but ya think the Falcons care ‘bout one girl they lost?”
It was a tough thing to hear, especially considering how much Eve meant to me.
“Don’tcha get me wrong, they want her. But ya know who they want more? You. They know if they kill Eve, ya ain’t comin’. But if Eve’s in one piece, yer ass will be haulin’ out wherever it needs to go.”
I sighed. It all made sense, and I suppose that as someone without romantic attachments in this story, Roost would have the outsider’s perspective I so greatly valued.
But I couldn’t quite believe it was all true.
“I think you’re underestimating the Falcons,” I said. “They’ll kill her soon and then they’ll trust themselves to kill me. Or they’ll make her a whore, or…”
“I ain’t underestimatin’ no one, Derek,” Roost said, sounding more reassuring than stern. “Rock ain’t callin’ the shots anymore. Remember? They ain’t gonna do nothin’ to Eve while they think she has use. It’s not the Falcons callin’ the shots. It’s the Falcon.”
I bit my lip, knowing that that may not have been a point in our favor.
“We need to wait until she calls in and we have a real plan.”
“Fine,” I said sharply. “It makes sense. It… it makes sense. I also think I need to slow down when I’m feeling this way. Yeah. We can wait. Let me regain my control.”
I looked at Roost for reassurance that I was making the right choice. While I knew he would give it to me, since it was his idea to wait, he still seemed to have the perfect words.
“Yer just like yer daddy,” Roost said. “Ya a little more of a fireball of emotions. But ya got the self-awareness now. And soon, you’ll be usin’ that control to not be makin’ mistakes.”
I almost got emotional at that. Roost’s only comparisons between me and my father had usually been how I had failed to live up to his standard. This… this was…
My phone rang.
“Tara!” I shouted, even though I hadn’t seen the caller ID—if it wasn’t her, whoever was on the other end of the line was going to get a lot of lip from me.
I quickly pulled my phone out of my pocket and in one swift motion, I turned the phone to my face, looking down at the screen. I got my wish.
I smirked up at Roost, who only smiled back knowingly. The fact that she was calling could only mean good news. It was show time.
I could feel my body begin to thrum in anticipation.
I would take down these fuckers once and for all.
I tapped the answer call button and put the phone up to my ear. My heart thrummed with both excitement and terror. I shook it off.
It was a trial in self-control, but at that moment it wasn’t one that was about to get the better of me. Refusing to let the slimy grip of distracting pessimism take hold of me, I staved it off and forced myself to keep moving forward. I was back and, dammit, I planned to stay back.
For Eve.
For myself.
For my family and everyone who had died because of the Black Falcons.
“Hello?” I asked, testing the call first, just in case someone had gotten ahold of Tara’s phone.
“Oh sweet Christ, I’m glad you answered.”
Perfect. No kidnapping of Tara today!
“Did you think I wouldn’t?”
“Well, a part of me thought that you couldn’t wait out, honestly,” she said, sighing softly. “Thought you decided to run off and try and take matter into your own hands.”
“Ya wouldn’t be wrong normally,” Roost said, laughing softly.
Goddamn, club up on me today, huh?
Not that either of you are wrong…
“Roost? That you?” she said. “Good to hear your voice, faggot.”
“Love ya too, whore,” Roost replied.
“When did…?” I glanced over at Roost, wondering just when Tara and him had become best friends. “No matter. Tara, can you tell us what’s going on? Did you find out where they are keeping Eve?”
“Hell yeah, I did! I struck gold, I tell ya! Suck the right cock and you know, men have a way of speaking when a woman’s mouth works its magic. Anyway, they got Eve holed up in the basement of this fancy-ass house in the suburbs. It’s in a cul-de-sac, right? But get this: they own all the houses. Can you believe that? An entire cul-de-sac—like, what you’d normally see little old married couples and creepy church-goers—and it’s owned by the goddam Black Falcons! But that’s the problem, too; they got all those houses and such, and that probably means they’re all filled. That entire street could be one giant military base, Derek. There’s no knowing what they got going on there.”
“Shit,” I groaned, running my hand over my face.
I’d anticipated a fortified apartment complex or home with a shitload of soldiers, but at least it would be something we could enclose and attack from multiple angles. I had not anticipated that our rivals would just take over the entire goddamn neighborhood, leaving us with very few tactical angles to work. It made our job just that much harder.
But not impossible. They weren’t gods, they weren’t special forces; they were clubsters.
“If you had to say, how many people do you think they have?”
“I don’t know. About ten or so houses—I didn’t really know to count them all when I had the chance and didn’t find out the truth about the neighborhood ‘til after… but that sounds about right. If each one’s got, what, a dozen, give or take… hmm, probably over fifty men. I’d bet more than that. Hundred’s probably pushing it, though. Maybe a bit more, I didn’t see them all, obviously. But that’s not all, Derek. I mean, I hate to put it this way, but that part’s practically the good news!”
OK, maybe they are special forces. Maybe they did bring in the big dogs. Maybe we are fucked.
“And how is that the good news?” I demanded.
“I talked with Eve, and—”
Eve!
“Oh fuck! Is she okay?”
“Well… uh, sure?” she answered, not sounding positive. “She’s not hurt, if that’s what you’re asking, but…”
Then we have a chance. We can still go.
Fuck it if this is a trap. I still need to save her.
“She says they’re planning to sell her off. Like some kinda fuckin’ whore auction or something. And from the sounds of things, they are planning this soon.”
“Fuck,” I said, glancing over at Roost. “Well, she’s alive. That’s what matters. But then we don’t have time. This happens tonight then. Tara, can you get somewhere safe? We’ll roll out of here within the hour, and—”
“Fuck that!” she said, yelling through the phone. “These bastards have my best friend, I’m not just gonna hide away while you and your guys all get to play hero. Bring me a few extra pieces and I’ll rock those fuckers sideways—clubsta-style—and pop caps ‘til I’m flooding my panties!”
I blinked at that. That was very bold and courageous of Tara.
But also quite possibly very stupid.
“Do you even know how to use a gun?” I asked, even as I decided to not even to try and fight Tara’s choice.
She wouldn’t take no for an answer, judging from how emotional she’d gotten from me even suggesting she hide during the chaos.
“Damn right I do,” she said, sounding almost boastful. “Used to go hunting with my dad all the time. I’m a damn good shot, too! Put a bullet right between the eyes of a ten-point buck from nearly two-hundred yards.”
I was certain at least a part of that story was an exaggeration, but I wasn’t prepared to guess and, quite frankly, I didn’t care. We wouldn’t be hunting deer—ten-pointers or otherwise—and, provided she didn’t shoot one of mine, I couldn’t care less where she put the bullets. And even if the story was even 20 percent true, it meant she was a good enough shot to play a role.
And, while I would never say this out loud in a million years to anyone, if I had to give up Tara on a suicide run to get Eve…
“Good enough for me,” I said. “I’ll get Roost to make sure to pack you something that won’t be too different from the hunting rifle you used. Where are you right now?”
“I just left the area. Told them I’d gotten a call to go out and handle a John—playing the whole ‘gotta make that money, honey’-routine. The two running the scene made like they didn’t trust me, so they told me I wasn’t going anywhere ‘til I sucked ‘em both off.”
“Jeez,” I grumbled. “So what’d you do?”
“Well, I just said I left, didn’t I?” she said with an impatient sigh. “So I guess that means I sucked ‘em both off.”
“Oh, well …” I said. “Are you okay? No problems with that?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked with an audible sigh. “You think I got this far ‘cause I couldn’t handle a couple of shots in the mouth? Fuck, Derek, grow up! We’re doing this for Eve, aren’t we?”
“Well… yeah, I guess that’s—”
“So that’s that,” she declared, ending my bullshit faster than even Roost could. “I bet if you had to suck a dick to get to her right now, you’d be on your knees doing the whole Brokeback Mountain scene, so quit the virginal routine, put on your gunnin’ trousers, and get your asses out here! I’m sending you the address to a nearby neighborhood. We can meet there and then move in.”
“That’s…” I said. “That’s actually a really good plan. Damn, Tara!”
“Yeah, not such a dumb whore, right?” she said with a laugh.
“Never said you were. We’ll be there within an hour. We shouldn’t be too long, but stay hidden at least until I get there. Don’t get into any unnecessary trouble.”
“Look who’s talking there,” she laughed. “Mr. Run in Guns Blazing!”
“Yeah, I guess I deserved that,” I said. “I’ve done—”
“Alright, see you soon,” Tara said.
“See you,” I replied, realizing I was not going to get another word in.
With that, the phone went silent as Tara hung up. Not even a few seconds later, she’d texted me an address. I turned to tell Roost what the plan was and saw that he’d left the room. I headed out to where the others had been preparing and saw that he’d joined them. He’d begun to load guns into his own duffel bag and I raised my eyebrow.
“Seems kind of a pain in the ass to pack them that way,” I said, heading down the stairs as I watched the others continue to arm themselves.
“This is just so I don’t gotta ride with a gun strapped to my back,” Roost said, rolling his eyes. “I ain’t no dummy.”
“No, no you’re not,” I agreed, glancing around at the others.
Eyes were casually glancing my way—not quite so explicitly expecting me to speak, but being open to it. This was easily the largest and most involved operation the Saviors had engaged in over the course of many years, and it would have felt like a waste of an opportunity to go into it without som
e sort of uplifting speech or pep talk.
I wasn’t much of a speaker, but then again, as of a couple of weeks ago, I couldn’t have even called myself much of a leader, but I seemed to have grown into that just a little.
I stopped halfway down the stairs and cleared my throat. I wanted them all to know just how appreciative I was, but I didn’t want to sugarcoat the dangers of just what we had planned. They deserved to know everything up front. And, well, the time for full honesty was at hand—if I was going to give it to Eve, the men who were putting their lives on the line deserved to have it too.
“Listen up, folks!” Roost called out for me.
All at once all their eyes were on me.
I froze for a moment, suddenly feeling unsure about everything. So I retreated to the memory of someone who could make me sure.
Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I remembered my father. I remembered just how sure he’d been about everything. A memory of him telling me that I would be a fine leader, that he knew I had it in me to run the Saviors just before he had passed away. Even though my brother had been meant to run the club, it seemed that my father had already known what was going to happen.
All at once, I had become in charge and yet, I hadn’t been a good leader.
Now, that was going to change.
Starting today, I would show them—show everyone—that I was meant to be a leader; that the cruel turn of fate that took my brother out of the game wasn’t going to represent the moment the Saviors were doomed to fall. And while I couldn’t say that I’d ever come to replace my father or my brother, I’d make damn sure to do their memories proud. I wouldn’t hide anymore, wouldn’t let Roost do everything for me any longer.
I took a deep breath, staring up at the crowd and saw the look they were giving me. Respect and pride mingled in all of their expressions, a look, I imagined, that they’d worn when looking to my father or my brother.
And now it’s mine, I thought.
And then I spoke.
“Thanks Roost,” I said. “I know I’ve been a shit leader up until now. I’ve failed to live up to my responsibilities, I’ve let my emotions control me, and many who were here have given up on the club. They’ve either left for the Black Falcons, or they just left for a different city. And while I can’t forgive those who joined the Black Falcons, those who just skipped out… I didn’t do them any favors.”
